Refundable vs nonrefundable deposits

[Canadianmama3]

Let me tell you how really silly the non refundable deposit has gotten. We booked a Royal Loft on Allure for Nov of 2018 which could only be booked as a non refundable. We then decided that there was a Seabourn cruise a couple of months later we wanted instead so we planned to wait until final payment then cancel to extend the cruise credit out as long as we could. Fast forward last week dh and I were discussing it and decided we would take another cruise in Nov. we didn't want the itinerary of Allure which is mainly Mexico etc(dh and I are simply not comfortable with the current warnings for Mexico and I understand that many others are ) . We were stunned when Royal wouldn't let us change to the Oasis without a $200 penalty. I get that they have a "policy" but it seems to me that they would let one transfer to another cruise same dates without penalty. Nope ! So we have a policy too....I won't do business with a company that is that inflexible. We booked November with HAL(fully refundable deposit btw).....and Royal can enjoy the $500,. They wont however get the $10,000+ they would have had from us...and I hope they can get full price for the RL on Allure that we wont release until full payment date.

 

I cannot believe how shortsighted the thinking is.

 

 

 

And this is exactly the reason they are going to non-refundable fares. While you sat there holding onto your reservation I'm sure there were people who may have booked your cabin had it been available. When you have a cabin booked on a cruise you aren't taking it means that nobody else can book that cabin. You holding that cabin can potentially impact others wanting to cruise and could cost the line money. It's this behaviour they are trying to discourage.

 

So yeah they charge you a penalty of $200 to change anything. And the fact that you are holding a cabin "just to show them" is actually pretty sad and selfish.

 

 

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[rukkian]

Let me tell you how really silly the non refundable deposit has gotten. We booked a Royal Loft on Allure for Nov of 2018 which could only be booked as a non refundable. We then decided that there was a Seabourn cruise a couple of months later we wanted instead so we planned to wait until final payment then cancel to extend the cruise credit out as long as we could. Fast forward last week dh and I were discussing it and decided we would take another cruise in Nov. we didn't want the itinerary of Allure which is mainly Mexico etc(dh and I are simply not comfortable with the current warnings for Mexico and I understand that many others are ) . We were stunned when Royal wouldn't let us change to the Oasis without a $200 penalty. I get that they have a "policy" but it seems to me that they would let one transfer to another cruise same dates without penalty. Nope ! So we have a policy too....I won't do business with a company that is that inflexible. We booked November with HAL(fully refundable deposit btw).....and Royal can enjoy the $500,. They wont however get the $10,000+ they would have had from us...and I hope they can get full price for the RL on Allure that we wont release until full payment date.

 

I cannot believe how shortsighted the thinking is.

So, you signed a contract and then when the other party honors that contact, you get pissed and never do business with them again? You are the reason why they implemented non-refundable rates.

 

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[MikeBTN]

And this is exactly the reason they are going to non-refundable fares. While you sat there holding onto your reservation I'm sure there were people who may have booked your cabin had it been available. When you have a cabin booked on a cruise you aren't taking it means that nobody else can book that cabin. You holding that cabin can potentially impact others wanting to cruise and could cost the line money. It's this behaviour they are trying to discourage.

 

So yeah they charge you a penalty of $200 to change anything. And the fact that you are holding a cabin "just to show them" is actually pretty sad and selfish.

 

 

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This was clear when you made the deposit. Complaining about Royal holding you to the terms of the contract you agreed to, and then holding on to the reservation when you know you're not taking the cruise seems sad, childish, and selfish, TBH. I also think its hilarious that $200 when you're planning on spending $10,000+ is making you react this way.

 

I would disagree that this is short-sighted. Many other cruise lines offer this option, and if you live just about anywhere else besides the US or Canada, ALL reservations are non-refundable. As the dollar continues to strengthen, less Europeans are sailing from the US, so something has to be done to increase revenue. Non-refundable deposits are a great way to 1) save a little money if you KNOW you're going to take the cruise, 2) generate additional revenue thanks to change fees, and 3) generate additional revenue thanks to people like you cancelling.

 

Do you only drive to port, or do you fly? Because almost airlines charge a change fee. My guess is that you fly and you wait until you KNOW you're taking a cruise before you book flights. This is the behavior Royal is trying to reinforce - book when you KNOW you're going to take the cruise OR choose a refundable rate. Unfortunately you probably have the "suite hogs" to blame for all suites being non-refundable.

[grapau27]

So, you signed a contract and then when the other party honors that contact, you get pissed and never do business with them again? You are the reason why they implemented non-refundable rates.

 

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I absolutely agree.

They are being selfish by deliberately hanging onto a suite they have no intention of using which is to the detriment of us especially in the UK who never get a chance to book these suites because they are unavailable while these selfish people hang onto them.

 

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[grapau27]

This was clear when you made the deposit. Complaining about Royal holding you to the terms of the contract you agreed to, and then holding on to the reservation when you know you're not taking the cruise seems sad, childish, and selfish, TBH. I also think its hilarious that $200 when you're planning on spending $10,000+ is making you react this way.

 

I would disagree that this is short-sighted. Many other cruise lines offer this option, and if you live just about anywhere else besides the US or Canada, ALL reservations are non-refundable. As the dollar continues to strengthen, less Europeans are sailing from the US, so something has to be done to increase revenue. Non-refundable deposits are a great way to 1) save a little money if you KNOW you're going to take the cruise, 2) generate additional revenue thanks to change fees, and 3) generate additional revenue thanks to people like you cancelling.

 

Do you only drive to port, or do you fly? Because almost airlines charge a change fee. My guess is that you fly and you wait until you KNOW you're taking a cruise before you book flights. This is the behavior Royal is trying to reinforce - book when you KNOW you're going to take the cruise OR choose a refundable rate. Unfortunately you probably have the "suite hogs" to blame for all suites being non-refundable.

Excellent post.

 

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[dacsmom]

I really like the new option of a non-refundable deposit. I saved quite a bit on my Anthem cruise next year. Other cruise lines have non-refundable choices. I do like using the website to book, it clearly states what type of deposit you are booking and compares fares side by side. I cannot believe I am saying I like something on the RCI website.

[grapau27]

I really like the new option of a non-refundable deposit. I saved quite a bit on my Anthem cruise next year. Other cruise lines have non-refundable choices. I do like using the website to book, it clearly states what type of deposit you are booking and compares fares side by side. I cannot believe I am saying I like something on the RCI website.

In the UK it has always been non refundable and a reason we lose out on the best cabins to the cabin hogs who have booked early with no risk to them losing their money if they cancel.

Well done RC by giving us a level playing field.

 

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[yetidog]

Non-refundable is a good choice if the price difference is attractive enough and you can purchase cancellation for any reason travel insurance that is reasonable. And keep in mind that the insurance is not all about potential need or desire to cancel rather medical coverage, evacuation and other things perhaps rarely used but essential to have if they are needed.

[Luckybee]

So, you signed a contract and then when the other party honors that contact, you get pissed and never do business with them again? You are the reason why they implemented non-refundable rates.

 

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Had I had the opportunity

to book a regular refundable deposit we would have cancelled the minute we decided not to take it. Instead Royal's booking policy states that if we cancel we get a $300 credit back to be used for 1 year from the date of cancellation. Uh yea....I will wait for the very last minute to cancel. I would be a fool not too!

Somehow this translates into , "You are the reason why they implemented non-refundable rates." Ummm no, we would have simply cancelled without the layer Royal has added, and given us no choice but to book a non refundable fare.

Edited August 31, 2017 by Luckybee

[Luckybee]

And this is exactly the reason they are going to non-refundable fares. While you sat there holding onto your reservation I'm sure there were people who may have booked your cabin had it been available. When you have a cabin booked on a cruise you aren't taking it means that nobody else can book that cabin. You holding that cabin can potentially impact others wanting to cruise and could cost the line money. It's this behaviour they are trying to discourage.

 

So yeah they charge you a penalty of $200 to change anything. And the fact that you are holding a cabin "just to show them" is actually pretty sad and selfish.

 

 

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Sorry but what you are saying makes no sense...it is solely because of the non refundable deposit that we are holding on to the reservation. Without it we would not be sitting on the reservation. In order to extend the credit we have no choice. Perhaps I wasn't clear in my first post.

 

And if you think it is selfish to do so, quite frankly I don't care. It is the inflexibility of their policies that caused the "selfish" behaviour .

Edited August 31, 2017 by Luckybee

[Luckybee]

This was clear when you made the deposit. Complaining about Royal holding you to the terms of the contract you agreed to, and then holding on to the reservation when you know you're not taking the cruise seems sad, childish, and selfish, TBH. I also think its hilarious that $200 when you're planning on spending $10,000+ is making you react this way.

 

I would disagree that this is short-sighted. Many other cruise lines offer this option, and if you live just about anywhere else besides the US or Canada, ALL reservations are non-refundable. As the dollar continues to strengthen, less Europeans are sailing from the US, so something has to be done to increase revenue. Non-refundable deposits are a great way to 1) save a little money if you KNOW you're going to take the cruise, 2) generate additional revenue thanks to change fees, and 3) generate additional revenue thanks to people like you cancelling.

 

 

 

Do you only drive to port, or do you fly? Because almost airlines charge a change fee. My guess is that you fly and you wait until you KNOW you're taking a cruise before you book flights. This is the behavior Royal is trying to reinforce - book when you KNOW you're going to take the cruise OR choose a refundable rate. Unfortunately you probably have the "suite hogs" to blame for all suites being non-refundable.

 

And if they had the option to save a little money by booking non refundable we would not have chosen that option, and if we had it would have been our choice and I would have no right to complain.

 

The airlines are a good example actually, and it is why whenever we have the option we will fly out of Buffalo instead of Toronto (we're in Canada), on Southwest who don't charge fees to change bookings. Other wise when we fly internationally etc out of YYZ we book more expensive fares that we can have flexibility with and there are no charges for cancelling or changing.

[MikeBTN]

And if they had the option to save a little money by booking non refundable we would not have chosen that option, and if we had it would have been our choice and I would have no right to complain.

 

The airlines are a good example actually, and it is why whenever we have the option we will fly out of Buffalo instead of Toronto (we're in Canada), on Southwest who don't charge fees to change bookings. Other wise when we fly internationally etc out of YYZ we book more expensive fares that we can have flexibility with and there are no charges for cancelling or changing.

 

Which is exactly why I said "blame the suite hogs" for the fact that there are no non-refundable deposits on Suites. There have been plenty of posts on this board discussing suite hogs.....I guess that will stop now.

 

Or just wait to book until you know you want to take a particular sailing. You're simply over-reacting to the policy you knew was in effect when you made the booking.

[travelplus]

All the airfares that are discounted are non refundable. If Royal woyld follow Southwest and apply a Future Cruise Credit valid for one year with the option to extend it for $50 once the year is up for another year would be very reasonable.

 

I for one would book a refundable deposit even of its more rather than losing $900 I could ger the full refubd back before the sail date.Also it means less owed at Final Payment so as long as they don't increase cruise fares by 150% its a moot point.

 

A good travel agent would tell you up front the refundable vs non refundable deposit. Just my 2 cents.

 

What says you?

[rukkian]

Sorry but what you are saying makes no sense...it is solely because of the non refundable deposit that we are holding on to the reservation. Without it we would not be sitting on the reservation. In order to extend the credit we have no choice. Perhaps I wasn't clear in my first post.

 

And if you think it is selfish to do so, quite frankly I don't care. It is the inflexibility of their policies that caused the "selfish" behaviour .

 

I agree on the part that having the credit only work from the date of cancel is stupid, that part causes issues for them and for their customers. Having non-refundable is perfectly fine to me (at least only the $100 fee, if it switched to the full deposit lost, it would be crappy). One year is pretty short, 2 would be much more preferred imo, but at least 1 year from the sail date, as many people book more than a year before sailing.

[Luckybee]

Which is exactly why I said "blame the suite hogs" for the fact that there are no non-refundable deposits on Suites. There have been plenty of posts on this board discussing suite hogs.....I guess that will stop now.

 

Or just wait to book until you know you want to take a particular sailing. You're simply over-reacting to the policy you knew was in effect when you made the booking.

 

There were other ways they could have handled the "suite hog" issue if that is what this was about. I get the non refundable, but instead they could have handled it in such a way that made it more consumer friendly. Making a booking non transferable to another sailing has zero to do with suite hogs and all to do with greed and while other's disagree it is imho short sighted because they could have tweaked this without managing to turn people off. Again while some disagree, there are some who wont book because of the policies who will go elsewhere, and no company wants to chase customers away

 

In your opinion I'm "over-reacting". In my opinion I'm exercising my right as a consumer to make choices.

[Luckybee]

All the airfares that are discounted are non refundable. If Royal woyld follow Southwest and apply a Future Cruise Credit valid for one year with the option to extend it for $50 once the year is up for another year would be very reasonable.

 

I for one would book a refundable deposit even of its more rather than losing $900 I could ger the full refubd back before the sail date.Also it means less owed at Final Payment so as long as they don't increase cruise fares by 150% its a moot point.

 

A good travel agent would tell you up front the refundable vs non refundable deposit. Just my 2 cents.

 

What says you?

 

When we fly internationally we tend to book bus class so we are almost always refundable.

On everything else you posted I agree with the proviso that one should be able to change the sail without penalty if one is booking the same or close to the same dates wayyyyy outside the dates.

[Luckybee]

I agree on the part that having the credit only work from the date of cancel is stupid, that part causes issues for them and for their customers. Having non-refundable is perfectly fine to me (at least only the $100 fee, if it switched to the full deposit lost, it would be crappy). One year is pretty short, 2 would be much more preferred imo, but at least 1 year from the sail date, as many people book more than a year before sailing.

 

Certainly would make more sense imho.

[allrosey]

I have to say I was Loyal to Royal but this policy had me thinking Norwegian may be better.  I actually just cruised with them and between the free drinks and much less hassle with bookings we may be switching for good. Food was excellent also! I may be cruising like a Norwegian.....

[Merion_Mom]

15 minutes ago, allrosey said:

I have to say I was Loyal to Royal but this policy had me thinking Norwegian may be better.  I actually just cruised with them and between the free drinks and much less hassle with bookings we may be switching for good. Food was excellent also! I may be cruising like a Norwegian.....

 

Enjoy your cruises.

[suzyluvs2cruise]

On 8/31/2017 at 2:54 PM, Luckybee said:

 

When we fly internationally we tend to book bus class so we are almost always refundable.

 

 

Can you share which airline(s) offer refundable Business Class fares? My experience....and we fly Bus Class also.....has been that there are change fees but no outright refundable fare. 

[Luckybee]

2 hours ago, suzyluvs2cruise said:

 

Can you share which airline(s) offer refundable Business Class fares? My experience....and we fly Bus Class also.....has been that there are change fees but no outright refundable fare. 

Our last three international flights were on Air Canada, and British Airways. 

We have also used American carriers. Many carriers offer more than one category of fare in each class of fare. To get the refundable tickets one has to book flexible fare tickets. You will pay much more for those (and sometimes it is worth booking those for us) while other times we book the flexible fares and later cancel, and rebook the less flexible fares closer to the dates of travel.